GLOOSKAP AND THE FAIRY

[101]

O

NE day Glooskap was in his tent with his old Grandmother.
They heard a great noise. "A very big man is coming," said
Glooskap, "I hear his footsteps." Time passed but no one
came. Soon they heard a great noise again. "He must be a
very big man," said Glooskap;
"the earth is trembling under
his tread, for the calves of my legs are shaking; he is
coming nearer." Soon there was a knock at the door. "Come
in," said Glooskap. In came a little fellow no bigger than
a man's thumb. "You walk very heavily and make a great
noise for so small a man," said Glooskap. "Yes," said the
little fellow; but not another word would he say.

They sat silent for a long time. Then Glooskap
tried to put his strange little caller to the test. "Take
something to eat," he said, and he passed him a plateful of
food. With his magic power he made the plate very heavy,
and he thought that the little man could not hold it but
would let it fall on his toes. But the little fellow took
it easily, and held it while he ate all it contained. When
he had finished eating, he passed it back. But it had
grown so heavy because of the little man's power that
Glooskap could hardly hold it up.

[102] Then they went outside. It was blowing very hard.
"It is a windy day," said Glooskap. "Oh no," said the
little fellow, "it is very calm and pleasant; I should like
to have a sail on the sea." Glooskap had a very large heavy
canoe. He thought it would be fun to send the little fellow
sailing in it, for he thought he could not paddle it. He
told him there was a canoe on the beach and that he might
take it for a sail. The little man thanked him and went to
the beach. Glooskap went back to his tent on the high cliff
to watch what would happen. Soon he saw the little man out
on the sea in the big heavy canoe. Then he untied the wings
of the great Wind Bird, and the winds blew harder than ever
and the waves rolled high. But the little man weathered the
storm all right; he seemed to be enjoying his sail, and
after a time he came ashore safely.

THELITTLEMANWEATHERSTHESTORMINGLOOSCAP'SHEAVYCANOE.

When he came in, Glooskap said, "Did you have a good
sail?" "Very good," replied the little man, "but I like
stronger winds and a rougher sea." And Glooskap wondered
much. Then they went outside again. It was still blowing
hard. The little man blew through his nostrils, and the
wind from them blew so hard that the grass fell down before
it, and Glooskap was knocked head over heels and had to put
his arms around a big tree and hold on tight to keep from
blowing over the cliff. Then the little man stopped
blowing, and they agreed to end their contest and to rest
together. Glooskap knew that
[103] the little man was the strong
Fairy of the forest of whom he had long heard. The Fairy
gave him new power to overcome evil, and then went back to
the land-of-little-people from which he had come.

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